Office of

Urban
Agriculture and
Innovative
Production
(OUAIP)

Fiscal Year (FY) 2022

Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
(UAIP) Competitive Grants Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

No. USDA-NRCS-NHQ-UAIP-22-NOFO0001178
P

1
 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

SUMMARY INFORMATION
Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources
Conservation Service – NHQ - Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP)

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP)
Competitive Grants Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-UAIP-22-NOFO0001178

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the assistance listings on Sam.gov under 10.935,
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.
SAM is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and
disseminates business information about the Federal Government's trading partners in support of
the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),
under the OUAIP, is soliciting applications from eligible entities to host the UAIP Competitive
Grants pilot project. Eligible entities for this opportunity are limited to the following: nonprofits
having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS; units of local government; a Tribal Government; and
schools serving grades kindergarten through grade 12 (see section C. Eligibility Information).

The primary goal of the UAIP pilot project is to support the development of urban agriculture
and innovative production. The two types of UAIP grants being made available for application
under this NFO are Planning Projects and Implementation Projects. Planning Projects are for
supporting the development of projects that will either initiate, build upon, or expand the efforts
of farmers, gardeners, citizens, government officials, schools, members of tribal communities,
and other stakeholders in areas where access to fresh foods are limited or unavailable.
Implementation Projects are for accelerating existing and emerging models of urban and/or
innovative agricultural practices that serve multiple farmers or gardeners. Innovation may
include new and emerging, as well as traditional or indigenous, agricultural practices.

For new users of Grants.gov, see section D.2 for information about steps required before
applying through Grants.gov.

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their applications through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on
August 2, 2022. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-
800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants
regarding Grants.gov accounts.

Page 2 of 44
Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as
dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the
merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

A webinar has been pre-recorded and is available at https://youtu.be/hgVgYgU9SU0 and

the presentation and supporting information are posted in the “Related Documents” tab of this
opportunity. The recorded webinar is also available on http://www.usda.gov/topics/urban/grants.

The agency anticipates making selections by September 30, 2022 and expects to execute awards
by January 30, 2023. These dates are estimates and are subject to change. Note that completing
all steps required to apply for a federal award can take some time; the table below represents a
general overview of each part of this process. These elements may take more or less time
depending on the applicant’s individual circumstances.
Required Action Timing
Obtain a Tax Identification Number/Employer Identification Refer to IRS website for
Number (TIN/EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service applicable timeframes
Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number Refer to SAM.gov for
applicable timeframe

Register with SAM.gov Refer to SAM.gov for

applicable timeframe

Register with Grants.gov, add a profile, and authorize an Refer to Grants.gov for
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) applicable timeline
Submit UAIP application in Grants.gov 08/02/2022
Applicants notified of selection or non-selection 9/30/2022
Awards executed 1/30/2023

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts:

(1) Planning Projects (PP): The funding floor for PP is $50,000 and the funding ceiling is
$300,000.

(2) Implementation Projects (IP): The funding floor for IP is $50,000 and the funding ceiling is
$300,000.

The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the federal share per
agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the federal share
per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total federal share, not any specific budget
period.

Federal Financial Assistance Training

Page 3 of 44
The funding available through this NFO is federal financial assistance. Grants 101 training is
highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about federal financial assistance. The
training is free and available to the public at https://www.cfo.gov/grants-training/. It consists of
five modules covering each of the following topics: 1) laws, regulations, and guidance; 2)
financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost
principles; and 5) risk management and single audit. FPAC agencies also apply federal financial
assistance regulations to certain nonassistance awards (e.g., nonassistance cooperative
agreements).

Page 4 of 44
Table of Contents
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................. 6
1. Legislative Authority and Executive Priorities ............................................................6
2. Purpose .........................................................................................................................6
3. UAIP Projects or Activities ..........................................................................................6
B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION ............................................................................. 8
1. Available Funding ........................................................................................................8
2. Type of Award..............................................................................................................9
C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION ........................................................................................ 9
1. Eligible Applicants .......................................................................................................9
2. Other: ..........................................................................................................................10
3. Cost Sharing or Matching...........................................................................................10
D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION ................................................ 10
1. How to Submit an Application ...................................................................................10
2. Information for New Users of Grants.gov..................................................................11
3. Electronic Application Package .................................................................................14
4. Content and Form of Application Submission ...........................................................14
5. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence ....................................................19
6. Intergovernmental Review .........................................................................................20
7. Funding Restrictions...................................................................................................20
8. Indirect costs limitations ............................................................................................21
E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION ................................................................... 21
1. Review and Selection Process ....................................................................................21
2. Merit/Technical Criteria .............................................................................................22
3. Administrative and Risk Criteria ................................................................................24
4. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (if applicable) ..........................25
F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION ........................................ 25
1. Federal Award Notices ...............................................................................................25
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements ....................................................25
3. Reporting ....................................................................................................................26
G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT ............................................................ 27
H. OTHER INFORMATION ................................................................................................ 27
APPENDIX A: Application Package Checklist ........................................................................... 30
APPENDIX B: Budget Narrative Guidance ................................................................................. 31

Page 5 of 44
APPENDIX C: Instructions for Completing SF-424 .................................................................... 38
APPENDIX D: Instructions for Completing SF-424A................................................................. 41

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Legislative Authority and Executive Priorities

The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) Competitive Grants program is
authorized by Section 222 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, as
added by Section 12302 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, 7 U.S.C. 6923. Funding
was made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2.

The Secretary of Agriculture delegated the authority for the administration of UAIP to the Chief
of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Proposals submitted under this announcement will be reviewed for alignment with executive
priorities on climate, equity, and environmental justice. Applicants are encouraged to review
Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support to Underserved Communities,
Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and Executive Order
13990, Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the
Climate Crisis, to learn more about these critical priorities. Executive orders may be located
using the following link - https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-
orders.

2. Purpose
UAIP grants support projects designed to improve access to local foods in areas where access to
fresh, healthy food is limited or unavailable through urban and/or innovative agricultural
practices, including, but not limited to, community gardens, urban farms, rooftop farms, urban
agroforest, food forests, orchards, outdoor vertical production, green walls, indoor farms,
greenhouses, high-tech vertical technology farms, and hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic
farm facilities.

3. UAIP Projects or Activities

UAIP grants fund Planning Projects and Implementation Projects. Proposals for both types of
projects must be designed to support multiple farmers or gardeners, target areas lacking access to
fresh, healthy foods, and promote urban and/or innovative agricultural practices. Applicants are
encouraged to align their project proposals to address priorities on environmental justice, racial
equity, climate, invest in disadvantaged communities and climate smart agricultural practices.

Planning Projects support one or more of the following:

• Assessments of community needs within the local food system to identify how food is
grown, distributed, or marketed and what existing needs related to food access, nutrition
education, conservation, and economic development can be addressed by urban and/or
innovative agriculture.

Page 6 of 44
 • Planning activities and community partnerships to improve how food is grown,
distributed, or marketed in the target area using urban and/or innovative agriculture.
• Business planning, feasibility studies, and other strategies, such as community resource
development, that support new and beginning farmers, particularly within socially
disadvantaged and underserved communities. USDA defines beginning farmers and
ranchers as those who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less either as a sole
operator or with others who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less.
• Policy development to make municipal policies and zoning laws in the target area more
supportive of the needs of urban and/or innovative agriculture.
• Creating educational materials and programs that will increase knowledge about food and
agriculture and encourage careers in agriculture and innovative production in the target
community; example topics include nutrition, crop and biology science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.

Implementation Projects support one or more of the following:

• Increasing food production in small, urban, and indoor spaces, including through the use
of emerging technology.
• Promoting agricultural businesses through job training and providing resources to help
communities access land and equipment, mentoring, and other assistance to new and
beginning farmers in the local community.
• Implementation of activities to address food access, zoning, compost, land access, soil
health, emerging technologies, infrastructure needs (such as access to water and utilities)
at the State, local, municipal, or school level to meet the needs of target community and
local agricultural producers.
• Educating the target community about food systems, nutrition, agricultural production,
and environmental impacts by:
o Operating community gardens or nonprofit farms that offer training in farming or
gardening through hands-on, virtual, or web-based formats
o Providing K-12 schools with educational resources or programs that increase
student knowledge of and access to locally grown foods, emphasize the
importance of consuming nutritious and locally grown foods, and train students
for careers in agriculture or innovative production.

Planning Projects Implementation Projects

Project phase: Project phase:
Funds are used as an early-stage investment in Funds are used to accelerate or expand the work
new, startup projects of an existing project
Funding range available: Funding range available:
$50,000 (floor) to $300,000 (ceiling) $50,000 (floor) to $300,000 (ceiling)

Page 7 of 44
Activities may include: Activities may include:
• Surveys • Job training
• Assessments • Mentoring
• Development of technology • Business development assistance
• Design and planning • Increasing food production
• Developing recommendations and strategies • Training students for careers in agriculture
• Creating business plans • Expand operations of community gardens or
• Feasibility studies nonprofit farms
• Municipal planning regarding policies and
zoning NO PLANNING PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Produce educational material

NO IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT ACTIVITES

Note Regarding Organizational Capacity

Special emphasis will be placed on your organization’s capacity to carry out meaningful
community-focused work in urban agriculture. This capacity is measured by criteria factors (see
Section E) including:

• Experience in agriculture or innovative production for 3 years or more or in serving

communities where access to fresh foods is limited or unavailable;
• Demonstrated ability to implement a project, provide fiscal accountability, collect data,
and prepare reports and other necessary documentation;
• Demonstrated willingness to share information with researchers, evaluators, practitioners,
and other interested parties, including a plan for dissemination of results; and
• Collaborated with one or more partner organizations working in the project target area to
carry out the innovative/urban agricultural work described in your proposal.

RESEARCH PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED OR CONSIDERED. “Research”

is defined as a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of
the subject studied. Research consists of systematic observations, measurement, and
experimentation undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles, where variables are
unknown and subject to manipulation.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding
a. Estimated Funding
The federal funding agency expects to award approximately $14,200,000 through this
opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser
amount.
b. Start Dates and Performance Periods

Page 8 of 44
 Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of January
30, 2023.
All projects are expected to be completed within 12 to 36 months (1 to 3 years).
Applicants are expected to achieve project deliverables and close out activities within the
grant period specified.
c. Number of Awards
There is no commitment by NRCS to make a specific number of awards.
2. Type of Award
a. Type of Federal Award
The agency plans to award grant agreements pursuant to this opportunity.
b. Procurement Contracts
The agency does not expect to award procurement contracts associated with this NFO.
c. Eligibility of Renewal or Supplemental Project Applications
Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing UAIP projects are eligible to
compete with applications for new federal awards. An application for renewal means an
application submitted to continue an existing agreement that meets the objectives and
requirements of this NFO. An application for supplementation of an existing project
means an application to add components to an existing agreement so that it would meet
the objectives and requirements in this NFO. Applications for renewal or
supplementation of existing projects should be accompanied by a summary of progress to
date on the current project. This summary should be included as a supplementary
attachment using the “Other Attachments” form in Grants.gov. Refer to section D(4) for
more information about the elements required in a complete application package.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
1. Eligible Applicants
Applicants and applications must meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline to be
considered for award. Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing program
statute. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible,
prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts and certain Federal
assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the
funding being requested under this Federal program (2 CFR 200.206(d)).

Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following entity types:

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher
education)

• A unit of local government, including:

o City, township, or county governments
o School districts

Page 9 of 44
 o Soil and Water Conservation districts

• A Tribal Government, including

o Native American Tribal Governments (federally recognized)
o Native American Tribal organizations (other than Federally-recognized tribal
governments)

• A school serving grades Kindergarten through grade 12

State-designated Indian tribes should select “Native American tribal organizations (other than
federally recognized tribal governments)” when completing the SF-424 block 9.

Applicants located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area
(Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) are eligible.

2. Other:
Any award made pursuant to this NFO will be made to a single entity. Applicants that apply
as partnerships or other similar groupings must clearly describe the relationship between the
applicant and the partner entities. In all but exceptional cases, it must be reflected in the
award as an awardee-subawardee relationship.

Each applicant organization is limited to one application per project as determined by NRCS.
This includes differing approaches for the same project. In the case of applications submitted
as revisions or corrections to a previously submitted application under this NFO, the agency
will only consider the last application submitted before the established deadline. In the case
of duplicate or substantially similar proposals for the same project, the agency will consider
the last submission of the “revised” and final copy for review purposes.

Awards made pursuant to this NFO are not Farm Bill incentive contracts; therefore, the
awards in and of themselves are not limited by the payment limitation in 16 U.S.C. Chapter
58. However, any agricultural producers receiving a payment through participation in a
project awarded under this NFO must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR Part 12 and
7 CFR Part 1400 and have control of the land involved for the term of the proposed award
period.

3. Cost Sharing or Matching

There is no cost sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity. There is no
competitive advantage to applicants who voluntarily provide a match.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. How to Submit an Application
Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (see section D.2. of this
opportunity). Submissions must be received by the time and due date referenced under “Key
Dates” in this document. Late submissions will not be reviewed or considered. The agency

Page 10 of 44
 will rely on the Grants.gov system-generated date and time of submission receipt
documentation to determine if the application was submitted prior to the established
deadline.

2. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

a. Overview
While a Grants.gov account is not required to download an NFO and related documents,
it is required to submit an application. If your organization has never submitted an
application through Grants.gov, please be aware that there are several steps you must take
to register your organization before you can submit an application. Completing those
steps can take a significant amount of time; so please plan accordingly.

For information about the Grants.gov pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle, go to
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html.

b. Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Carefully review the registration steps and gather information requested before beginning
the registration process to avoid last minute searches for required information. For
assistance with the registration process, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-
518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Organizations must complete all steps to register (see steps i. through v. below).
Complete organization registration instructions are included on Grants.gov at
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

Although creating a Grants.gov account online can take only minutes, SAM registration
may take several weeks. Therefore, organizations should begin the process early to
ensure they have sufficient time to complete registration and meet required application
submission deadlines.

c. Steps to Register
i. Obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number or Unique Entity
Identifier (UEI): All entities applying for funding must have a DUNS number from
Dun & Bradstreet or a UEI issued by SAM.gov. Applicants must enter the DUNS
number or UEI in the data entry field labeled "UEI" on the SF-424 form.
ii. Register with System for Award Management (SAM): All organizations must register
with SAM to apply online through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed
annually. Part of the SAM registration process includes designating an Electronic
Business point of contact (EBiz POC). The EBiz POC plays an integral part in the
organization’s Grants.gov registration and application process. The individual in
that role must authorize all other roles in Grants.gov. For more detailed instructions
for registering with SAM, go to
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-
register-with-sam.html

Page 11 of 44
 iii. Create a Grants.gov Account: From the Grants.gov webpage
(https://www.grants.gov/), click “Register” in the top right-hand corner and follow
the on-screen instructions or see the detailed instructions at
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html
iv. Add an Organization Applicant Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in
Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an
applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple
organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account
to access all your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your
Grants.gov account, enter the DUNS number/UEI for the organization in the “UEI”
field while adding a profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on
Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-
profile.html
v. EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an
Organization Applicant Profile, you must establish roles for individuals in the
organization. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role is critical; it
gives an individual permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the
organization. (Please be aware that the EBiz POC and the person with the AOR role
cannot be the same individual; they must be different people.) Without this role, the
organization cannot submit any applications. The request for role assignment will be
routed to the organization’s EBiz POC for approval. Once approved, the AOR can
submit an application online. For more detailed instructions about creating an EBiz
POC authorized profile on Grants.gov, refer to
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html
For instructions about tracking your role request, go to
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html
d. Electronic Signature
When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization
applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature
line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. Please be aware that the EBiz
POC and the person with AOR Role cannot be the same individual; they must be
different people. The EBiz POC must authorize people who are able to make legally
binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role. This
step (see step c.v. above) is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely
submissions.
e. Workspace.
Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may
simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each NFO,
you can create individual instances of a workspace. An applicant can start an application
in Workspace and return to work on it later within Workspace.
f. Apply for an Opportunity

Page 12 of 44
Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For complete instructions on how to
apply for opportunities, go to
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html
i. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete an application
online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.
ii. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the
application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading
PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress
bar will display the status of your application process as you apply. As you apply
using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right
corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.
• Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms, you can
download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms
can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drives, or
external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.
NOTE: Visit the “Adobe Software Compatibility” page on Grants.gov to
download the appropriate version of the software at
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-
compatibility.html
• Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will see fields marked with an
asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields
that must be completed to successfully submit your application.
• Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common
required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and
DUNS number/UEI. Once it is completed, the information will transfer (i.e.,
prepopulate) to the other forms.
iii. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through Workspace by
clicking the “Sign and Submit” button on the “Manage Workspace” page under
the “Forms” tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at
least 24-48 hours before the close date to provide you with time to correct any
potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.
iv. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a Workspace
application, a Grants.gov tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is
automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the
“Confirmation” page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking
number, access the “Track My Application” page under the “Applicants” tab or
the “Details” tab in the submitted Workspace.
For additional training resources, including video tutorials, go to
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Page 13 of 44
3. Electronic Application Package
Applicants interested in submitting an application in response to this NFO must submit it
through Grants.gov; the agency will not accept applications submitted by email or any other
method. Applicants are urged to submit early to the Grants.gov system.
For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-
4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding
Grants.gov accounts.
Address to Request Application Package
All information necessary to apply for this opportunity is included in the Grants.gov
opportunity announcement.

4. Content and Form of Application Submission

The agency may choose not to consider applications that fail to comply with the required
content, format, and page limits or that are incomplete. Page limits are noted in parentheses
after each item. The text of the project narrative must be single-spaced and typed in a
standard typeface (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Courier) with no smaller than 12-point
font.
To be considered for funding under this opportunity, an application must contain the
documents and information requested in a-g below.
a. Project Abstract (1 page maximum)
Provide a descriptive title of your project. Then, present a statement of need or
assessment of the problem. Define the target audience and end users of this project.
Describe your approach to determining the critical elements and needs of the local food
economy or food system of the area or community to be served. Describe how this
project will initiate, build upon, or expand related work or programs. The summary
should also include the relevance of the project to the purpose and priorities of UAIP as
outlined in section A.2.
b. Project Narrative (15 page maximum)
The project narrative must cover all activities proposed to be carried out with federal
funds.
The project narrative must not exceed 15 pages, 10 pages of written text, and up to 5
additional pages for figures and tables. This page limitation applies to the project
narrative only and does not include the project abstract described in section a. Each
page must be numbered and have 1-inch margins. The text must be single spaced and
typed in a standard typeface (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Courier) with no smaller
than 12-point font.
All project narratives must contain at least headings 1 through 4 below, in order,
and respond to each of the points included under each heading.

1. Project Overview: Community and the Needs to be Addressed

• Present a statement of need or assessment of the problem and a high level
explanation of how funds requested will address the problem. What is the

Page 14 of 44
 situation that is causing concern? Why is it happening? How will funds address
the issue?
• Describe the target area and how you determined the need there, including at
least one source of data supporting that access to fresh local food is an issue in
the target area.
• Describe the target community, explaining the needs of the local community or
food system, and provide at least one source of supporting data, such as
demographics, income, and geographic characteristics of the area or
community. Describe how limited access to fresh, heathy, and affordable food is
an issue in this community. Proposals should, to the extent possible, describe
limiters of fresh food access using data available in the USDA Food Access
Research Atlas. (https://data.nal.usda.gov/dataset/food-access-research-atlas).
• Explain how the project is aligned with the purpose and priorities of this
program and will make a difference in the targeted community(ies).
• Describe how this project will initiate, build upon, or expand related work or
programs.
• Describe the anticipated impact of this project on Executive priorities including
climate, equity, and environmental justice. This element may include, but is not
limited to: participation by historically underserved groups or groups serving
historically underserved or vulnerable communities; activities with the potential
to mitigate the impacts caused by climate change.

2. Project Goals and Intended Outcomes

• Concisely state the goals and objectives of the proposed project.
• Describe the project goals, including who will benefit from the project and what
community needs it will address.
• Describe project objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic,
and time bound.
• Describe measurable project outcomes, including what will be accomplished,
who will benefit (e.g., residents, students, participants), and how many people
will benefit.
• Describe the involvement of stakeholders and the number of partners that will
be involved in developing project objectives and implementing results.

3. The Organizations and Partners Involved

• Explain your organization’s experience in the field of urban agriculture or
innovative production, serving communities lacking access to fresh foods, and
providing outreach in target area or community.
• List your organization’s leadership and key personnel for this project. For
everyone listed, describe: their role in project and qualifications to carry out
project, including experience and expertise in agriculture and innovative
production and working with target communities and related food systems
(which will be considered as important as academic or professional credentials).
• List one or more partner organizations for this project and include their contact
information, relevant experience, community connections, and specific
responsibilities for achieving the project goals.

Page 15 of 44
 • Explain plans to coordinate work with partner organizations and to leverage
existing resources.

4. Workplan and Activities to Achieve the Goals

FOR PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS:

• Summarize the work to be performed in nontechnical terms for each goal and
project objectives.
• Explain why the applicant and its partners selected the activities proposed in the
application.
• Include a timeline of activities with milestones and verifiable indicators to
demonstrate how progress will be achieved. Include the specific tasks to
complete each activity and identify the responsible party to complete the task.
• Describe plan to ensure financial accountability, including accounting and
purchasing policies. Include the specific tasks to complete each activity and
identify the responsible party to complete the task.

FOR IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS ONLY:

• Describe how you will evaluate outcomes and whether objectives were met.
• Provide a plan for how the project will continue beyond end of the award
period, how it will become self-sustainable, and potential funding sources for
continuation of the project after federal funding ends. Discuss how a one-time
infusion of federal funds will be enough for the proposed Implementation
Project to advance UAIP goals and achieve sustainability.

If your proposal will include information collection from non-federal sources, ensure the
collection meets the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act. Surveys of
individuals or entities are generally prohibited without prior approval from the Office of
Management and Budget. For additional guidance about allowable and unallowable
activities, please go to https://pra.digital.gov/do-i-need-clearance/
The following documents do not count toward the above-stated page limit.
c. Standard Form (SF) 424, “Application for Federal Assistance”
See “Instructions for Completing SF-424” located in APPENDIX C.
d. SF-424A, “Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs”
Fill in all spaces as appropriate. Section B, Item 6, Column 1 should reflect the agency
funds, and Column 2 should reflect the applicant’s matching funds. This form is the
summary budget for the project and should include the full project totals on pages one
and two. See “Instructions for Completing SF 424A” located in Appendix D. Refer to
Section D of this opportunity for information regarding indirect costs.
i. In a separate document titled “Budget Narrative,” explain and justify all requested
budget items and costs. (Refer to the budget narrative guidance located at the end
of this document.) Detail how the totals on the SF-424A were determined and
demonstrate a clear connection between costs and the proposed project activities.

Page 16 of 44
 For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of
time (as percentages) to be directly charged to the project. Describe any item that
under the applicable federal cost principles requires the agency’s approval and
estimate its cost. The pages included as the budget narrative do not count toward
the page limit.
Applicants should take care to support any proposed equipment purchase with a
detailed narrative and substantial documentation that includes how it will help
accomplish the project deliverables; a lease vs. purchase comparison; how it will
be inventoried, stored, and maintained during the project; and what will be done
with it when the project is over. Be specific about why any included equipment is
needed to meet the objectives of the project. See “Equipment” in the Budget
Guidance appendix for a more thorough discussion of how to construct your
budget narrative.
ii. Any non-federal entity (except State and local governments that receive more than
$35 million per year in federal funding) that does not have a current negotiated
(including provisional) rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of
modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. No
documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate.
As described in 2 CFR Section 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as
either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently
charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used
consistently for all federal awards until such time as a non-federal entity chooses to
negotiate for a rate, which the non-federal entity may apply to do at any time.
iii. Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages,
applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the
first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the
subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures,
charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and
fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess
of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious
inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant
agency for indirect costs.
iv. As required in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, “Audit Requirements,” all U.S. States,
local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and nonprofit
organizations expending $750,000 or more in federal award funds in a fiscal year
must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit
Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System.
e. Letters of Support
A letter of support from partner organizations indicating their intention to participate and
their responsibilities on the proposed project may be included in the application. For
implementation projects, a letter of financial support may also be submitted. Letters of
support are not required but may be added as an attachment to the Other Attachment
form.
f. Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
Page 17 of 44
 Under 31 U.S.C. Section 1352, an applicant or recipient must not use any federally
appropriated funds (both annually appropriated and continuing appropriations) or
matching funds under a grant or cooperative agreement award to pay any person for
lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is defined as influencing or attempting
to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or
employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the
award. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the
statements in 2 CFR Part 418, Appendix A, “Certification Regarding Lobbying.” If you
or your organization has made or agree to make any payment using non-appropriated
funds for lobbying, you must also complete and submit the SF-LLL, “Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities,” located at 2 CFR Part 418, Appendix B. See 2 CFR Section
418.110 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.
g. Disclosure of Potential Conflict of Interest
Applicants must maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and
governing the performance of its employees in the selection, award, and administration of
federal awards. No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or
administration of a federal award if there is a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a
conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any immediate
family members, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to
employ any of the parties referenced, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible
personal benefit from an applicant considered for a federal award. The standards of
conduct must provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such
standards by officers, employees, or agents of the applicant.
If the applicant has a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is not a State or
local government or Indian tribe, the applicant must also maintain written standards of
conduct covering organizational conflicts of interest. Organizational conflict of interest
means that, because of the relationships with a parent company, affiliate, or subsidiary
organization, the applicant is unable or appears to be unable to be impartial in conducting
a federal award action involving a related organization.
h. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) if applicable
If charging indirect costs (including for cost share), upload the NICRA under “Other
Attachments” (listed as an Optional Form) in the Grants.gov Opportunity Application
Package. See Section D for information regarding indirect costs.
i. Supplementary Attachment on Prior Project Progress, if applicable
If your application is intended to renew or supplement an existing UAIP projects, provide
a summary of progress to date on the current project. This summary should be included
as a supplementary attachment using the “Other Attachments” form in Grants.gov. See
section B.2.c. of this announcement for additional guidance on renewal/supplementary
applications.
j. Unique entity identifier (UEI)/DUNS and System for Award Management (SAM)
Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual excepted from those requirements
under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding
agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before
Page 18 of 44
 submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application;
and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all
times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under
consideration by a Federal awarding agency. The agency may not make a Federal award
to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier
and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements
by the time the agency is ready to make an award, it may determine that the applicant is
not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making
a Federal award to another applicant.
Entities must obtain a DUNS or UEI and register in SAM prior to registering with
Grants.gov. A description of each is below. Entities are strongly encouraged to apply
early for their SAM registration.
System for Award Management (SAM) Registration: To register, go to:
https://www.sam.gov. The Federal Service Desk is available for registration assistance
and can be contacted via the Help tab at the website listed above.
Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding DUNS/UEI or SAM issues.
The Government intends to replace the D-U-N-S® number with a “new, non-proprietary
identifier” requested in, and assigned by SAM.gov. This new identifier is being called the
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), or the Entity ID. See Planned UEI Updates in Grant
Application Forms for UEI updates.

5. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence

Applicants must submit applications through Grants.gov. Applications must be received by
11:59 p.m. eastern time (ET) on August 2, 2022. An application submitted or resubmitted
after the deadline is late (an application is considered on time at 11:59:59 p.m. ET, but it is
late at 12:00 a.m. ET). Late submissions will not be reviewed or considered.

Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of
an email sent to the applicant with the authorized organizational representative (AOR) role
attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some
applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the
transmission process; be patient and give the system time to process the application.

If you have trouble submitting an application to Grants.gov, you should first contact the
Grants.gov Help Desk to resolve any issues. Keep a record of any such correspondence. See
Section D. 2. for Grants.gov contact information.

For applications successfully transmitted to Grants.gov before the deadline, the applicant
with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive:
• an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX)
from Grants.gov
• an email with the official date and time stamp (this stamp is used to determine if
the application was received prior to the deadline) and Grants.gov

Page 19 of 44
 When the agency successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov and acknowledges
the download of submissions, Grants.gov will also provide an electronic acknowledgment of
receipt of the application to the applicant.

6. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review
of Federal Programs.”

7. Funding Restrictions
Funds may not be used to pay any of the following costs unless otherwise permitted by law
and approved in writing by the agency in advance of incurring such costs:
a. Costs above the amount of funds authorized for the project.
b. Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the award, including time spent
applying for this opportunity.
c. Costs which lie outside the scope of the approved project and project
amendments.
d. Entertainment costs, regardless of their apparent relationship to project objectives.
e. Compensation for injuries to persons or for damage to property arising out of
project activities.
f. Consulting services performed by a federal employee during official duty hours
when such consulting services result in the payment of additional compensation to
the employee.
g. Capital expenditures for general purpose equipment, buildings, and land and for
improvements to land, buildings, or equipment which materially increase their
value or useful life. See 2 CFR Section 200.439 for additional information.
h. Management fees and profit. Any funds awarded to for-profit entities must be
used for reimbursement of award-related direct and indirect costs only.
i. Meals may be charged to an award only if they are necessary for the performance
of the project. For instance, meals (normally only lunch) that are a necessary part
of the costs of meetings and conferences (i.e., required attendance and continuity
of a meeting), the primary purpose of which is the dissemination of information,
are allowable, as are costs of transportation, rental of facilities, speakers’ fees, and
other items incidental to such meetings or conferences.
Note: Meals consumed while in official travel status do not fall in this category.
They are considered to be per diem expenses and should be reimbursed in
accordance with the organization’s established travel policies subject to statutory
limitations or in accordance with federal travel policies.
j. Costs normally charged as indirect costs may not be charged as direct costs
without proper justification and agency approval. Proper justification includes
documentation that the costs meet the criteria for allowability (see 2 CFR Section
200.403). Examples of such costs include rent, utilities, depreciation on buildings
and equipment, the costs of operating and maintaining facilities, and general
Page 20 of 44
 administration and general expenses, such as the salaries and expenses of
executive officers, personnel administration, and accounting.
k. Salaries that are not an allowable expense. All costs must be reasonable to be
allowable (2 CFR 200.403), and 2 CFR 200.404 defines a reasonable cost as one
if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a
prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was
made to incur the cost.

This list is not exhaustive. For additional information, please see 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E,
“Cost Principles.”

8. Indirect costs limitations

a. To be eligible to recover any indirect cost under a federal award, recipients must
either have a current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) with a federal
agency that has not expired or qualify for use of the de minimis rate authorized by 2
CFR Section 200.414(f). A State, local, or Tribal governmental department or
agency unit that receives more than $35 million in direct federal funding is not
eligible for the de minimis rate.

b. Applicants not subject to a statutory limitation and who have a current NICRA must
calculate indirect costs using the rate and base specified in their NICRA. A
recipient may voluntarily reduce or waive recovery of indirect costs at its sole
discretion and must not be encouraged or coerced in any way to do so by the
agency. A copy of the applicant’s current NICRA must be provided with the
application. Indirect costs may not be recovered under an expired NICRA.
However, if an applicant with a current NICRA is subject to the statutory limitation,
indirect costs must be calculated as follows. First, multiply the NICRA rate by the
base stated in the NICRA to arrive at amount A. Next, multiply the statutory limit
of 10 percent by the total of all direct costs to arrive at amount B. The lower of
amount A and B is the amount of indirect cost to include on the budget.

c. Recipients are prohibited from shifting unallowable indirect costs to another federal
award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this
notice. Incomplete, noncompliant, and applications not meeting the formatting criteria may
be eliminated from competition. In that event, the agency will send notification of
elimination to the applicant. The agency intends to select and award without conducting any
discussions or allowing applicants to correct deficiencies or omissions in their applications.
Consequently, applicants must ensure their applications are complete and accurate. However,
while the agency intends to select without contacting applicants, it reserves the right to
request applicants to revise their applications to correct deficiencies or omissions it identifies.
Page 21 of 44
 If this occurs, the agency will conduct discussions with all applicants, identify deficiencies
and omissions for all, and give applicants an opportunity to submit a revised application by a
common cutoff date. The agency may also contact individual applicants to clarify certain
components of their applications.

Merit/technical reviews will be conducted by a technical review board nominated by the

approving official. Risk reviews will be conducted by the FPAC Business Center, Grants and
Agreements Division. The approving official will make the final award decisions. The
approving official for this opportunity is the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service or Designee. In addition to the merit/technical review and risk reviews, the approving
official may also give consideration to furthering programmatic purposes,
including geographical dispersion, program balance, or diversity of awards.

Projects will be categorized, evaluated, and ranked according to project level, where level is
determined according to the federal funding amount requested:
Project Levels Planning Projects Implementation Projects
Level 1 $50,000 to $100,000 $50,000 to $100,000
Level 2 $100,001 to $300,000 $100,001 to $300,000

2. Merit/Technical Criteria
The weights and evaluation criteria below will be used in reviewing applications submitted in
response to this NFO. Proposals will be evaluated by the extent to which they meet the listed
criteria:

Project Consistent with UAIP Purpose and Priorities (30 points)

• Degree to which applicant successfully describes the need or problem in the target
community and degree to which this description is substantiated with supporting
documentation that access to fresh local food is an issue. Evidence that the target
community has a demonstrated need for local or community food systems. How well the
project activities and outcomes aligned with the purpose and priorities of this program.
• Applicant’s persuasiveness and level of detail in describing project goals, including who
will benefit from the project and what community needs it will address. Applicant
described project objectives that were specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time
bound. The project outcomes including what will be accomplished, who will benefit, and
how many people will benefit is reasonable.
• Quality of the plan presented to promote urban, indoor, and emerging agricultural
practices, such as gardens and farms, rooftop farms, urban agroforest, food forests,
orchards, outdoor vertical production, green walls, indoor farms, greenhouses, high-tech
vertical technology farms, and hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic farm facilities
within the target area.
• The likelihood the project will be successful in positively impacting access to fresh,
heathy, and affordable food in the specified timeframe and in the targeted community as
described in the USDA Food Access Research Atlas.

Page 22 of 44
 • Degree to which the proposal aligns with Executive priorities including climate, equity,
and environmental justice. Amount of anticipated participation by historically
underserved groups or groups serving historically underserved or vulnerable
communities. Description of activities with the potential to mitigate the impacts caused
by climate change.

Internal Organization Support and Partnerships (20 points)

• Organization has appropriate experience in field of urban agriculture or innovative
production, serving communities lacking access to fresh foods, and doing outreach in
target area or community.
• The organizational leadership and key personnel have the necessary qualifications to
carry out project. Factors considered include experience and expertise of key personnel in
agriculture and innovative production and working with target communities and related
food systems (which will be considered as important as academic or professional
credentials). Preference will be given to organizations with experience of 3 years or
more.
• One or more partners are involved in the project. The partners involvement adds value to
the project and will contribute to the success of the project.
• Quality and extent of external partnerships, and plan to leverage existing resources.
• Degree of collaboration with partner organizations working in the local community.

Project Workplan (20 points)

• The activities the project will undertake, timelines and milestones, the specific tasks to
complete each activity, and identified responsible party to complete the task are
appropriate.
• The demonstrated ability of applicant to implement the project, provide fiscal
accountability, collect data, and prepare reports and other necessary documentation.
• The mechanism the applicant will use to measure progress toward the project’s goal and
identified verifiable indicators is appropriate to demonstrate progress.
• (IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT ONLY) The evaluation of the outcome and whether
objectives were met is suitable.
• The plan to ensure financial accountability, including accounting and purchasing policies
is sufficient.
• (IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT ONLY) Applicant provide a plan for how the
project will continue beyond end of award period, how it will become self-sustainable,
and identified potential funding sources for continuation of the project after federal
funding ends.

Budget (25 points)

• Total funding requested is appropriate for scope of project. Proposed costs are
reasonable, necessary, and allocable to carry out project’s goals and objectives.
• Budget narrative includes a line-item description of every allowable cost and shows how
it supports the project goal. Budget calculations are itemized sufficiently to show how the
budget components were developed and costs estimated and derived.

Data and Information Sharing (5 points)

Page 23 of 44
 • Manner of collection of data and information on program deliverables.
• Suitable reporting policies.
• Extent information about project outcomes and results will be shared with researchers
and other interested parties, including public or private, nonprofit or for-profit entities,
academic institutions (including minority-serving colleges and universities), other
appropriate professionals, community-based organizations, and local government entities.
• Reasonableness of specific strategies for sharing project information.

3. Administrative and Risk Criteria

Notice of selection after merit or technical evaluation does not guarantee that an applicant
will receive an award. Following notification of selection for funding (see section F. of this
opportunity), the FPAC Business Center, Grants and Agreements Division’s staff conducts a
final administrative and risk review of those applications. The administrative review
includes, but is not limited to, a check to ensure that NFO requirements were met (e.g.,
applicant meets eligibility criteria, application was submitted through Grants.gov by the
established deadline), and proposed costs are allowable, allocable, and necessary. During this
process, it may be necessary to request further documentation from the applicant (e.g.,
organizational information as part of the risk assessment, more detail regarding proposed
costs).

In addition, to comply with the requirements of 2 CFR Section 200.206, the agency will
follow, at a minimum, the risk review process described below (additional steps may be
taken).

The awarding agency will check SAM to ensure the applicant is not suspended or debarred,
which would preclude receiving an award. In addition, prior to making a federal award with a
total federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000), the agency
must review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated
integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently the Federal Awardee
Performance Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313 and 2 CFR
200.206(a)).

An applicant must meet the following standards to be considered for award:

a. Financial Stability. The applicant maintains an adequate financial resources or
cash flow to meet its financial obligations on a routine basis in order to successfully
complete any agreement it may be awarded.
b. Quality of Management Systems and Ability to Meet Management Standards
Prescribed in 2 CFR Part 200. The applicant has a financial management system
adequate to segregate and track federal funds. It has adequate systems in place for
proper agreement administration; compliance with the standards outlined in 2 CFR
Part 200, Subpart D, for procurement, property, and records management; and
required financial and performance reporting.
c. History of Performance. If the applicant has previously obtained federal financial
assistance award, it has never failed to materially comply with the federal award
terms and conditions and has never had an award terminated on that basis.
Page 24 of 44
 Submission of an application constitutes certification that an applicant meets these standards.
The agency may request documentation to substantiate the certification. Based on risk
assessment, the agency may impose specific award conditions in accordance with 2 CFR
Section 200.208.

4. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (if applicable)

a. Prior to making a federal award with a total federal share greater than the simplified
acquisition threshold ($250,000), the agency must review and consider any
information about the applicant that is in FAPIIS accessible through SAM. FAPIIS
is a federal database intended to serve as a government-wide source of information
about the prior performance and compliance of federal procurement contractors,
grantees, and cooperative agreement holders (see 41 U.S.C. 2313 and 2 CFR
200.206(a)).

b. An applicant may review information in FAPIIS accessible through SAM and

comment on any information about it that a federal awarding agency previously
entered.

c. The agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other
information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity,
business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing
the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR Section 200.206,
“Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.”

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The agency will provide notice that an application has been selected before it makes the
federal award. As such, the selection notification is not an authorization to begin
performance. Any pre-award costs incurred by the awardee will not be reimbursed. The
Notice of Grant and Agreement Award signed by the authorized agency official is the only
authorizing document and will be provided electronically to the entity’s authorized official
for signature.

The agency anticipates announcing or notifying successful and unsuccessful applicants by

September 30, 2022 and expects to have federal awards in place by January 30, 2023.
These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All project funds will be used in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200 and the general award
terms and conditions, which are available at https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov/about/grants-
and-agreements/award-terms-and-conditions/index.html.

Projects performed pursuant to this opportunity may be subject to the National

Environmental Policy Act. If applicable, NRCS must work with awardees to complete an

Page 25 of 44
 environmental review of each awarded project before project commencement. In addition,
before any ground-disturbing activities related to NRCS funding, the awardee must work
with NRCS staff to complete an environmental evaluation related to those activities.
Awardees may be required to prepare or pay for preparation of an environmental
assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS), should any environmental
review find that an EA or EIS is required.
In addition, a National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 106 review and
consultation by an NRCS State or area office with consulting parties (such as the pertinent
State historic preservation officer and federally recognized Indian Tribes) may be required
before the implementation of project activities that have the potential to impact cultural
resources. Section 106, its implementing regulations (36 CFR Part 800), and other related
authorities require federal agencies to determine if a project has the potential to cause an
effect to historic properties and, if so, if they are adverse and how the effects may be
addressed. The NHPA review and compliance in accordance with Section 106 and 36
CFR Part 800 must be completed by NRCS, and applicants may be required to pay for any
cultural resource surveys needed for NRCS to assess project effects. More information on
the applicant’s role in the Section 106 consultation process can be found on the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation website at
https://www.achp.gov/digital-library-section-106-landing/section-106-applicant-toolkit.

Consultation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries
Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is also required for projects
that may affect listed or proposed species or destroy or modify critical habitat. The ESA
consultation in accordance with Section 7 of the ESA and implementing regulations of 50
CFR Part 402 must be completed by NRCS before the implementation of project activities
that have the potential to impact species or habitat protected under the ESA. More
information on the Section 7 consultation process can be found at
https://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/consultations-overview.html.

3. Reporting
Reporting will follow the guidelines included in the agency’s general award terms and
conditions, which are available at https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov/about/grants-and-
agreements/award-terms-and-conditions/index.html.

If the federal share of any agreement awarded under this opportunity notice may include
more than $500,000 over the period of performance, recipients must also comply with the
post-award reporting requirements reflected in appendix XII of 2 CFR Part 200, “Award
Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.”

Applicants that receive awards pursuant to this opportunity and any sub awardees must
comply with the reporting requirements described at 2 CFR Part 170 unless an exception
applies. Applicants must ensure they have the necessary processes and systems in place to
comply with those requirements. A list of exceptions can be found at 2 CFR Section
170.110(b).

Page 26 of 44
 Submission of interim and final reports are required to demonstrate the progress made
toward the completion of project goals, objectives, and outcomes, as well as the grant
agreement’s overall financial status. “Federal Financial Report” (SF-425) is due with each
performance report to account for financial expenditures during that reporting period.

Performance reports and Federal Financial Reports (SF-425) are due annually no later
than 90 calendar days after each annual performance reporting period end date.
A final performance report and SF-425 must be submitted no later than 120 calendar days
after the performance period end date.

Submit reimbursement requests to the ezFedGrants system or the FPAC Grants and
Agreements Division by email at FPAC.BC.GAD@usda.gov on a quarterly basis. Refer
to the General Terms and Conditions for more information regarding payment requests.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT

For questions regarding this opportunity, please contact the following individual with the
NFO number in the subject line:
Melanie Krizmanich
Grants Management Specialist
FPAC Business Center
Email: Melanie.Krizmanich@usda.gov with a copy to FPAC.BC.GAD@USDA.GOV

H. OTHER INFORMATION
1. Questions regarding this opportunity must be submitted to the Federal Awarding Agency
contact identified above by email with the NFO number in the subject line.

2. For technical issues with Grants.gov, please contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-
800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants
regarding Grants.gov accounts.

3. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Applications are considered confidential information. Applications are not shared with
individuals or entities seeking public disclosure through FOIA without the consent of the
applicant. More specifically, Executive Order 12600 and 7 CFR Part 1, Subpart A,
requires the awarding agency to provide notice to applicants that a third party has
requested copies of their business information and requires the awarding agency to
consult with applicants regarding the releasing their records.

4. Government Obligation
The Federal Government is not obligated to make any federal award as a result of this
opportunity. Only authorized federal officials can bind the Federal Government to the
expenditure of funds.

Page 27 of 44
 5. Any award made pursuant to this NFO may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one
and the same instrument.

6. Paperwork Reduction Act

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), a
federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, a person is not required to respond to, and a
person shall not be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of
information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB
Control Number for information collected within this announcement is 0578-0032. All
responses to this collection of information are voluntary; however, in order to obtain or
retain a benefit, the information in this form is required (Agriculture Improvement Act
of 2018, 7 U.S.C. 6923). The Natural Resources Conservation Service has no plans to
publish information collected under the provisions of this program. You may submit
comments identified by Docket ID No. NRCS-2022-0007, using Federal eRulemaking
portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. For further information contact Brian Guse;
telephone; (202) 641-7249; email: urbanagriculture@usda.gov.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the
USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering
USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin,
religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age,
marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political
beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity
conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint
filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program
information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact
the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program
information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination

Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.ascr.usda.gov/filing-program-
discrimination-complaint-usda-customer and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to
USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of
the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov

Page 28 of 44
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Page 29 of 44
 APPENDIX A: Application Package Checklist
Important: Proposals Missing Any of These Required Items Will Not Be Considered

PROPOSAL

 1. Project Abstract: (one page maximum)

 2. Project Narrative: (15 pages maximum)

a. Project Overview: Community and the Needs to be Addressed

b. Goals and Intended Outcomes

c. The Organizations and Partners Involved

d. Workplan and Activities to Achieve the Goal

• Evaluations (Implementation Projects Only) Self-Sustainability

(Implementation Projects Only)

 3. Standard Form 424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

 4. Standard Form 424A, “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs”

 5. Budget Narrative

 6. Certification Regarding Lobbying

 7. Disclosure of Potential Conflict of Interest

 8. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: (if applicable)

 9. Letters of Support: (optional)

 10. Supplementary Attachment on Prior Project Progress, if applicable

Page 30 of 44
 APPENDIX B: Budget Narrative Guidance

All costs must comply with the cost principles of 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E, “Cost Principles.”
All costs (both Federal and any required non-federal cost sharing/match) that are part of an
award must be:

• Allowable (2 CFR Section 200.403),

• Allocable to the agreement (2 CFR Section 200.405), and
• Reasonable in amount (2 CFR Section 200.404).

A thorough budget narrative will aid the administrative review and processing of a recommended
award. Amounts included in a budget and budget narrative are estimates; in the event of an
award, payments will be based on actual expenditures. The following is guidance for your use in
preparing a thorough budget narrative. The guidance follows the order of the budget items.

COST SHARING/MATCHING (if applicable): You must provide the information below for
the federal portion of costs and separately provide the information below with the same level of
detail for the cost sharing/matching portion, as applicable, as part of the budget narrative.

PERSONNEL – Only include employees of applicant organization

This category includes salaries and wages of personnel of the applicant organization (i.e.,
employees) that will be working directly on the project. For each individual, identify their role
and describe their contributions to the project. Also include their annual salary, percent of effort,
and the period of time they will contribute to the project along with the associated funds
requested for support.

The following format is an appropriate way to provide the information:

Mr. Jones – Project Director. Accountable for assuring that all project activities are carried out in
a timely, cost-efficient and responsible manner. He will provide oversight of daily activities and
lead and direct the project toward accomplishment of the objectives of the project. He is
responsible for the submission of the required reports.

Salary % effort Project Duration Funds Requested

$50,000 25% 12 months $12,500

FRINGE BENEFITS – Only related to salaries identified under Personnel

Fringe benefits include, but are not limited to, the costs of leave (e.g., vacation, family-related,
sick or military), employee insurance, pensions, and unemployment benefit plans. Also, see 2
CFR Section 200.431, “Compensation - fringe benefits.” Provide information about how fringe
benefits are determined along with the amount requested.

Example: Fringe benefits - 25% of salaries and wages ($12,500 @ 25%). $3,125

TRAVEL

Page 31 of 44
See your organization's travel policy for guidance on how to arrange travel. If your organization
lacks a policy, it is expected that you follow the U.S. Federal Government policy. See
http://www.gsa.gov/federaltravelregulation.
For the budget narrative, identify the total funds requested for travel. Provide as much detail as
possible including purpose, destination, dates of travel, and number of individuals for each trip.
If the dates of travel are not known, specify estimated length of trip. Identify what will be
followed (e.g., organizational travel policies or government per diem rates).

The following are a few examples of how to provide the information.

• 2 people - travel to Washington D.C. once per year for a two-day meeting [identify
purpose of meeting].
o Airfare $800 x 2 for airfare = $1,600;
o Airport parking = $64
o Hotel for 3 nights x 2 @ $200 = $1,200;
o Meals for 2 days x 2 = $245;
o Rental car for 3 days @ $110/day = $330. Total for trip: $3,439
• Local travel for project manager is calculated at .50 per mile throughout primary service
area x 326 miles/month x 12 months = $1,956.

EQUIPMENT
Equipment is defined as an item of property that has an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more
(unless the organization has established lower levels) and an expected service life of more than 1
year. List each item of equipment along with the applicable cost. Include justification of its need
in accomplishing the goals of the project.

Example:

To complete objectives #1 and #2, Refrigerated Trailer is required. XYZ Refrigerated Trailer,
Model #123, at $5,555

These costs should only include the costs to purchase new equipment. The cost of renting or
leasing equipment is not to be included in this category but instead, include under the
“Contractual” category. If equipment is costly, include a lease versus purchase comparison in the
budget narrative in support of route chosen.

SUPPLIES
Supplies are defined in 2 CFR Section 200.1 as all tangible personal property other than those
described in 2 CFR Section 200.313, “Equipment.” A computing device is a supply if the
acquisition cost is less than the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-federal
entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life. See 2
CFR Section 200.453, “Materials and Supplies Costs, Including Costs of Computing Devices,”
regarding the allowability of costs.

Indicate general categories of expendable supplies, including an amount for each category.
Caution: If a category is viewed as too general or the associated amount is too high, further

Page 32 of 44
itemization may be requested. Therefore, use good judgement in determining the level of detail
to provide.

Example:

General office supplies $50/mo. x 12 mo. = $600

Postage $37/mo. x 8 mo. = $296
Laptop Computer 1 x $900 = $900
Printer 1 x $300 = $300
Projector 1 x $900 = $900
Copies 8000 copies x .10/copy = $800

CONTRACTUAL
A contractor (versus a subrecipient) provides goods and services within normal business
operations. These goods and services are ancillary to the operation of the federal program. A
contractor generally provides similar goods or services to many different purchasers, and
normally operates in a competitive environment. This category includes consultants,
subcontracts, etc.

Consultants -- List the total costs for all consultant services. Identify each consultant, the services
performed, total number of days, rate of pay, travel costs, per diem, and total estimated costs.

Contract -- A contract is defined in 2 CFR Section 200.1 as a legal instrument by which a non-
federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a
federal award. The term as used in this part does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-
federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition
of a federal award or subaward (see 2 CFR Section 200.1 Subaward).

Explain the need for each agreement and how their use will support the purpose and goals of the
project. For each contract, describe the associated activities, scope of work or services to be
provided, and how the costs were estimated. If budgeting for a procurement action, document if a
solicitation process has occurred or if the contract will be a sole source.

Example:

o ABC Company: Training $250/individual x 3 staff 5 days = $ 750

o Amy White to provide Technical Assistant Services
o 1FTE @ $25,000 + 20% Fringe Benefits of $5,000 = $30,000
o Travel at 2,000 miles @ .50 per mile = $ 1,000
o Training course $ 175
o Supplies @ $42.50 x 12 months = $ 510
o Telephone @ $40 x 12 months = $ 480 $32,165
o John Doe, Consultant $40 per hour x 220 hours for 12 month period = $ 8,800
o To Be Announced Outreach Coordinator Annual salary $30,000 x 10% level of effort/12
mths = $ 3,000

Page 33 of 44
CONSTRUCTION
Construction efforts are to be included under this category with the same level of detail as
described under the “Other” category below.

OTHER
Costs not fitting under one of the other categories are to be included under this category. The
level of detail is to be commensurate with other categories. Subawards should be included in this
category. Per 2 CFR Section 200.1, a subaward is an award provided by a pass-through entity to
a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a federal award received by the pass-
through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a
beneficiary of a federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal
agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.

Please include a similar level of detail in your subawardee budget narratives as you do for your
primary awardee, including all relevant cost categories discussed elsewhere in this section.

Example: Outreach Workshop

o Rental of facilities ($750/2 days) $1,500
o Information technology services $400
o Training packets (approx 125/$40 each) $5,000
o Total $6,900

Note: Percentage for contingencies is not an allowable cost.

INDIRECT
2 CFR Section 200.1 defines indirect (facilities & administrative (F&A)) costs as those costs
incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily
assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the
results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives
served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools of indirect (F&A) costs. Indirect
(F&A) cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an
equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived.

This cost category guidance includes several components:

o Calculation (This is to be included as part of the budget narrative)
o Indirect Cost Rates
o Negotiated Rate
o 10% De Minimis Rate
o Limitation (i.e., indirect cost cap)
o Unrecovered Indirect Costs for Cost Sharing/Match
o Voluntarily Reduce/Waive

Calculation.
If indirect costs are requested as part of the proposed budget, you must provide details used in
determining the indirect costs requested. For instance, provide the calculation specifying the

Page 34 of 44
amounts used in applying the base (the base specified in the applicable rate agreement) by the
applicable rate (see indirect cost rate info below as well as Limitation section). The calculation
can be displayed in different formats but must capture the components (i.e., amounts used in
applying the base and the applicable rate).

EXAMPLE 1: For purposes of this example, the recipient uses the 10 percent de minimis
indirect cost rate (10 percent of Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)). MTDC means all direct
salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to
the first $25,000 of each subaward. MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for
patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support
costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000.

Item Budget Indirect Eligible Amounts

Salaries and wages $50,000 $50,000
Materials and supplies $3,000 $3,000
Equipment $5,500 $0
Subaward $30,000 $25,000
$78,000 x 10% = $7,800 Indirect Costs

EXAMPLE 2: For purposes of this example, the recipient has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement (NICRA) of 20 percent with a base of salaries and fringe benefits.

Item Budget Indirect Eligible Amounts

Salaries and wages $50,000 $50,000
Fringe Benefits $10,000 $10,000
Materials and supplies $3,000 $0
Equipment $5,500 $0
Subaward $30,000 $0
$60,000 x 20% = $12,000 Indirect Costs

Indirect costs may only be recovered if the non-federal entity has one of the following
indirect cost rates.

1. Negotiated Rate: If the organization has a current NICRA established with the cognizant
federal agency (the agency that provides the most funds to the organization), then provide a copy
of the NICRA; expired rates are not acceptable. If unable to obtain a current negotiated rate from
the cognizant agency, you are permitted to opt to use the 10 percent de minimis cost rate (you
may only be reimbursed for allowable direct cost). Violation of cost accounting principles is not
permitted when rebudgeting or charging costs to awards. Rather, costs must be consistently
charged as either indirect or direct costs. Along with a copy of the NICRA, include the rate and
base as part of the budget narrative.

Example: Rate 24.87% of MTDC - 24.87% applied to the following items: $97,300 of
Personnel, $23,352 of Fringe, $110,000 of other, and the first $25,000 of three (3) subawards =
$76,015.65 indirect costs

Page 35 of 44
2. 10 Percent De Minimis Cost Rate: In accordance with 2 CFR Section 200.414(f), any non-
federal entities, unless excepted, may elect to forgo calculation of an indirect cost rate and
request a 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate. The 10 percent de minimis rate is applied to
modified total direct costs (MTDC). For this purpose, MTDC means total direct costs related to
the award, such as direct labor, fringe benefits, materials and supplies, publications, consultant
services and travel costs. MTDC excludes the following costs: equipment, capital expenditures,
participant support costs and the portion of each subaward and subcontract in excess of $25,000.
Violation of cost accounting principles is not permitted when charging costs to awards. Rather,
costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs.

If the 10 percent de minimis option is chosen, it must be used consistently for all federal awards
until such time you choose to negotiate for a rate, which you may apply to do at any time. If the
organization previously opted for the de minimis rate, a copy of the rate agreement must be
provided. If the organization is currently electing the de minimis rate, use an indirect cost rate of
no more than 10 percent of MTDC when preparing the budget. If selected for award, a de
minimis rate agreement will be executed along with the award, as appropriate.
Example: Rate 10% of MTDC – 10% applied to the following items: $45,000 of Personnel,
$10,800 of Fringe, and $59,000 of Other = $11,480 indirect costs

Limitation: Some programs may not allow the recovery of indirect costs. In such instances, the
limitation flows down to subcontractors. See the applicable notice of funding opportunity to
determine if indirect costs are unallowable.
USDA appropriation acts limit indirect costs to 10 percent for cooperative and contribution
agreements with nonprofit entities; for purposes of this limitation, “nonprofit entities” includes
institutions of higher education. For agreements subject to this limitation, first apply the 10
percent indirect cost rate to the agreement’s total direct costs; this is shown on line 6.i of the SF-
424A. Then calculate indirect costs using the rate and the direct cost application base specified in
the recipient’s NICRA. Use whichever rate results in the lower amount.
If the organization has a NICRA, both the NICRA calculation and the 10 percent TDC must be
completed in order to determine the lesser (i.e., maximum allowed indirect costs) for the
applicable project.
Calculation instructions: First, multiply the NICRA rate by the base stated in the NICRA to
arrive at amount A. Next, multiply the statutory limit of 10 percent by TDC to arrive at amount
B. The lower of amount A and B is the maximum amount of allowable indirect cost, therefore
include this amount on the budget.

Unrecovered Indirect Costs for Cost sharing/Match: 2 CFR Section 200.306(c) states that
unrecovered indirect costs, including indirect costs on cost sharing or matching may be included
as part of cost sharing or matching only with the prior approval of the federal awarding agency.
Unrecovered indirect cost means the difference between the amount charged to the federal award
and the amount which could have been charged to the federal award under the non-federal
entity's approved negotiated indirect cost rate. In instances where indirect costs are statutorily
limited, unrecovered indirect costs will normally not be accepted as part of required cost sharing
or match; it is only allowable if a statute specifically allows it.

Page 36 of 44
Voluntarily Reduce/Waive: A recipient may voluntarily reduce or waive recovery of indirect
costs at its sole discretion and must not be encouraged or coerced in any way to do so by the
agency. If organizations waive indirect cost recovery and request only direct costs, the
organization is required to include in the award budget only those types of costs consistently
treated as direct costs by the organization.

Page 37 of 44
 APPENDIX C: Instructions for Completing SF-424
SF-424, APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE
Applicants must review these instructions to ensure the form is completed correctly. This will
reduce the likelihood that the form will need to be returned for correction and potentially delay
execution of any resultant agreement.
Item Name
1 Type of Submission
2 Type of Application
3 Date Received
4 Applicant Identifier
5a Federal Entity Identifier
5b Federal Award Identifier
6 Date Received by State
7 State Application Identifier
8a Applicant Legal Name
8b Applicant
Employer/Taxpayer
Identification Number
(EIN/TIN)
8c Applicant Organizational
(DUNS) /Unique Entity
Identifier (UEI)
Instructions
Select one type of submission in accordance with agency instructions. •
Pre-application • Application • Changed/Corrected Application - Check
if this submission is to change or correct a previously submitted
application. Unless requested by the agency, applicants may not use this
form to submit changes after the closing date.
Select one type of application in accordance with agency instructions. •
New - An application that is being submitted to an agency for the first
time. • Continuation - An extension for an additional funding/budget
period for a project with a projected completion date. This can include
renewals. • Revision - Any change in the federal government's financial
obligation or contingent liability from an existing obligation. If a
revision, enter the appropriate letter(s). More than one may be selected.
A: Increase Award B: Decrease Award C: Increase Duration D: Decrease
Duration E: Other (specify) AC: Increase Award, Increase Duration AD:
Increase Award, Decrease Duration BC: Decrease Award, Increase
Duration BD: Decrease Award, Decrease Duration
Enter date if form is submitted through other means as instructed by the
Federal agency. The date received is completed electronically if
submitted via Grants.gov
Enter the entity identifier assigned by the Federal agency, if any, or the
applicant’s control number if applicable.
Enter the number assigned to your organization by the federal agency, if
any.
For new applications, leave blank. For a continuation or revision to an
existing award, enter the previously assigned federal award identifier
number. If a changed/corrected application, enter the federal identifier in
accordance with agency instructions
Leave this field blank. This date will be assigned by the state, if
applicable
Leave this field blank. This identifier will be assigned by the state, if
applicable
Enter the legal name of the applicant that will undertake the assistance
activity. This is the organization that has registered with the System for
Award Management (SAM). Information on registering with SAM may
be obtained by visiting SAM.gov.
Enter the employer or taxpayer identification number (EIN or TIN) as
assigned by the Internal Revenue Service.
Enter the organization’s UEI received from SAM. The UEI is a unique
12 character organization identifier. Information on registering with
System for Award Management (SAM.gov) may be obtained by visiting
the Grants.gov website.
Page 38 of 44
8d Applicant Address
8e Applicant Organizational
Unit
8f Applicant Contact
Information
9 Type of Applicant 1
10 Name of Federal Agency
11 Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance
Number/Federal Assistance
Listing and Title
12 Funding Opportunity
Number and Title
13 Competition Identification
Number and Title
14 Areas Affected by Project
(Cities, Counties, States,
etc.)
15 Descriptive Title of
Applicant's Project
16a Congressional District of
Applicant
16b Congressional District(s) of
Program/Project
17a Proposed Project Start Date
17b Proposed Project End Date
18a-g Estimated Funding
Enter address: Street 1 (required); City (required); County/Parish, State
(required if country is US); Province; Country (required); 9-digit
ZIP/Postal Code (required if country is US). If +4 does not exist for the
address, enter “0000”.
Enter the name of the primary organizational unit, department, or
division that will undertake the assistance activity
Enter the first and last name (required); prefix, middle name, suffix, and
title. Enter organizational affiliation if affiliated with an organization
other than that in 7.a. Telephone number and email (required); fax
number
Select a minimum of one applicant type or select up to three applicant
types in accordance with agency instructions. If “Other” is selected, then
specify Other Type of Applicant in text box. This type must be
consistent with the entity type listed in the applicant’s SAM registration.
Enter the name of the federal agency from which assistance is being
requested with this application. This information is pre-populated if
submitting through Grants.gov.
Enter the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number and title of
the program under which assistance is requested, as found in the program
announcement, if applicable. This information is pre-populated if using
Grants.gov.
Enter the Funding Opportunity Number and title of the opportunity under
which assistance is requested as found in the program announcement.
This information is pre-populated if using Grants.gov.
Enter the competition identification number and title of the competition
under which assistance is requested, if applicable. These fields are pre-
populated by Grants.gov if provided by the federal agency.
This data element is intended for use only by programs for which the
area(s) affected are likely to be different from the place(s) of
performance reported on the SF-424 Project/Performance Site
Location(s) Form. Add attachment to enter additional areas, if needed.
Enter a brief descriptive title of the project. Supporting documents may
be attached if specified in agency instructions.
16a. Enter the applicant’s congressional district.
16b. Enter the primary district affected by the program or project. Enter
in the following format: 2 character state abbreviation – 3 characters
district number, e.g., CA-005 for California 5th district, CA-012 for
California 12th district, NC-103 for North Carolina’s 103rd district. If all
congressional districts in a state are affected, enter “all” for the district
number, e.g., MD-all for all congressional districts in Maryland. If
nationwide, i.e., all districts within all states are affected, enter US-all. If
the program/project is outside the US, enter 00.000. This optional data
element is intended for use only by programs for which the area(s)
affected are likely to be different than place(s) of performance reported
on the SF-424 Project/Performance Site Location(s) form. Attach an
additional list of program/project congressional districts, if needed.
Enter the proposed start date and end date of the project. Consistent with
what is stated on the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Do not anticipate
an earlier award date, even though an earlier award may be possible.
Enter the estimated end date consistent with the start date and what is
stated on the Notice of Funding Opportunity
Enter the amount requested, or to be contributed during the first
funding/budget period by each contributor. Value of in-kind
Page 39 of 44

19 Is Application Subject to
Review by State Under
Executive Order
20 Is the Applicant Delinquent
on any Federal Debt?
21 Authorized Representative:
contributions should be included on appropriate lines, as applicable. If
the action will result in a dollar change to an existing award, indicate
only the amount of the change. For decreases, enclose the amounts in
parentheses. For zero funding, enter 0.
These values must be consistent with the values on the SF-424A and the
Budget Narrative.
a. Federal: enter the amount of Federal funds being requested.
b. Applicant: enter cost share/match being provided by the
applicant itself. Do not include cost share/match being provided
by commitments from the sources listed below.
c. State: enter the amount of any cost share/match being provided
by a State government entity.
d. Local: enter the amount of any cost share/match being provided
by a Local government entity.
e. Other: enter the amount of any cost share/match being provided
by a source other than those listed above.
f. Program Income: enter the amount of program income (if any)
used for meeting cost share/match requirements (see 2 CFR
200.1 and 200.307).
g. Total: enter the sum of all amounts. This must equal the total
proposed budget amounts above.
Applicants should contact the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for
Federal Executive Order 12372 to determine whether the application is
subject to the State intergovernmental review process. Select the
appropriate box. If “A.” is selected, enter the date the application was
submitted to the State.
Select the appropriate box. This question applies to the applicant
organization, not the person who signs as the authorized representative.
Categories of federal debt include; but may not be limited to: delinquent
audit disallowances, loans, and taxes. If yes, include an explanation in an
attachment.
To be signed and dated by the authorized representative of the applicant
organization. Enter the first and last name (required); prefix, middle
name, and suffix. Enter title, telephone number, fax number, and email.
Fax number is not required. A copy of the governing body’s
authorization for you to sign this application as the official representative
must be on file in the applicant’s office. (Certain federal agencies may
require that this authorization be submitted as part of the application.) If
the application is submitted via Grants.gov, the signature of the
authorized representative and the date signed are completed upon
submission.
Page 40 of 44
 APPENDIX D: Instructions for Completing SF-424A

SF-424A, BUDGET INFORMATION

Applicants must review these instructions to ensure the form is completed correctly. This will
reduce the likelihood that the form will need to be returned for correction and potentially delay
execution of any resultant agreement. The total amounts for each category must match the
amounts in the budget narrative.

SECTION A – BUDGET SUMMARY

Colum Name Instructions
n
(a) Grant Program Function FPAC agencies do not require the project budget be broken down into
or Activity separate programs, functions, or activities on this form. That level of
detail, if desired, is reserved for the Budget Narrative which is a related,
but separate document. Enter “Federal” in 1(a) and Non-Federal in 2(a).
Leave the remaining rows blank.
(b) Catalog of Federal Enter the CFDA number from the Notice of Funding Opportunity in 1(b)
Domestic Assistance and 2(b). Leave the remaining rows blank.
Number
(c) Estimated Unobligated Leave this entire column blank.
Funds: Federal
(d) Estimated Unobligated Leave this entire column blank.
Funds: Non-Federal
(e) New or Revised Budget: Enter the total amount of the Federal funds requested in Row 1. Leave
Federal the remaining rows blank. This amount must be consistent with the
amount in Block 18a of the SF-424.
(f) New or Revised Budget: Enter the total amount of the Non-Federal cost share/match in Row 2 and
Non-Federal leave the remaining rows blank. This amount must be consistent with
the total amount of Blocks 18b through 18f of the SF-424.
(g) Total This auto-calculates and is the total proposed agreement budget. This
amount must be consistent with the total amount in Block 18g of the SF-
424.

SECTION B – BUDGET CATEGORIES

Colum Name Instructions
n
(1) Grant Program Function In the column headings (1) through (4), enter the titles of the same
or Activity 1 programs, functions, and activities shown on Lines 1-4, column (a),
Section A. When additional sheets are prepared for Section A, provide
similar column headings on each sheet. For each Grant Program,
Function or Activity, fill in the total requirements for funds (both federal
and nonfederal) by object class categories. If using the Budget
Information form through Grants.gov, the Grant Program, Function, or
Activity is prepopulated by the Grant Program Function or Activity from
column (A) in Section A – Budget Summary
(2) Grant Program Function The form will auto-populate “Non-Federal” in the heading of Column 2.
or Activity 2 See the list of budget cost categories at the end of this table for guidance
on what types of costs to include in each category. The total of Column
2 must be consistent with the Non-Federal total in Section A.

Page 41 of 44
(3) Grant Program Function Leave this entire column blank.
or Activity 3
(4) Grant Program Function Leave this entire column blank.
or Activity 4
(5) Total This auto-calculates.

All costs must comply with the cost principles of 2 CFR Part 200,
Subpart E – Cost Principles. All costs must be allowable (2 CFR
200.403), allocable to the agreement (2 CFR 200.405), and reasonable
in amount (2 CFR 200.404).

(6a) Personnel Compensation for employees of the applicant, for example, wages and
salaries. See 2 CFR 200.430, Compensation-Personal Services.

Do not include the cost of fringe benefits in this category. Such costs
must be listed in the “Fringe Benefit” category.

Do not include the personnel cost of contractor’s or other organizations

with which a contract or other agreement for their services exists. Those
amounts must instead be listed under the “Contractual” category as part
of the total value of the contract or agreement.

Do not include the value of donated or volunteer services (or third-party

in-kind contributions of services) as it may not be charged to the Federal
award either as a direct or indirect cost (2 CFR 200.434). However, the
value of those services may be used to meet cost sharing/matching
requirements (2 CFR 200.306).
(6b) Fringe Benefits Fringe benefits should be separated out from the personnel category and
are allowances and services provided by employers to their employees as
compensation in addition to regular salaries and wages. Fringe benefits
include, but are not limited to, the costs of leave (vacation, family-
related, sick or military), employee insurance, pensions, and
unemployment benefit plans. Also, see 2 CFR 200.431, Compensation-
Fringe Benefits.

Do not include the fringe benefit cost of contractor’s or other

organizations with which a contract or other agreement for their services
exists. Those amounts must instead be listed under the “Contractual”
category as part of the total value of the contract or agreement.
(6c) Travel Travel costs are the expenses for transportation, lodging, subsistence, and
related items incurred by employees who are in travel status on official
business of the applicant. This only includes the travel costs directly
incurred by employees of the applicant. Also, see 2 CFR 200.475,
Travel Costs.

Travel costs do not include the cost of renting a conference room for
people who are in travel status. Instead, that type of cost should be
included under the “Contractual” category.

Travel costs incurred by a third-party under a contract or agreement with

the applicant should instead listed under the “Contractual” category as
part of the total value of the contract or agreement.

Page 42 of 44
(6d) Equipment The common dictionary definition or common use of the term
“equipment” does not apply to financial assistance agreements.
Consequently, property that might otherwise normally be considered
equipment, might actually be considered “supplies” as defined by 2 CFR
200.1.

“Equipment” is defined as “tangible personal property (including

information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one
year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of
the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for financial
statement purposes, or $5,000.” See also §200.1 for Capital assets,
Computing Devices, General Purpose Equipment, 200.58 Information
Systems, Special Purpose Equipment, and Supplies”.

Include the cost of all equipment planned to be acquired under the

agreement in this budget category.

Do not include the value of third-party in-kind contributions of property

(2 CFR 200.1) as it may not be charged to the Federal award either as a
direct or indirect cost (2 CFR 200.434). However, the value of this
property may be used to meet cost sharing/matching requirements (2
CFR 200.306).

Do not include the cost of renting or leasing equipment in this category.

Instead, such costs should be included under the “Contractual” category.
Also, see 2 CFR 200.465.

Also, see 2 CFR 200.439, Equipment and Other Capital Expenditures,

regarding allowability of costs.
(6e) Supplies Property that might otherwise normally be considered equipment, might
actually be considered “supplies” as defined by 2 CFR 200.1 (see section
above regarding the definition of equipment).

“Supplies” is defined as all tangible personal property other than those

described in §200.33 Equipment. A computing device is a supply if the
acquisition cost is less than the lesser of the capitalization level
established by the non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes or
$5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life. See also §200.1 for
Computing devices and Equipment”.

Include the cost of all supplies acquired under the agreement in this
budget category.

Non-tangible goods and services associated with supplies, such as

printing services, photocopy services, and rental costs should be included
in the “Other” category.

Do not include the value of third-party in-kind contributions of property

(2 CFR 200.1) as it may not be charged to the Federal award either as a
direct or indirect cost (2 CFR 200.434). However, the value of this
property may be used to meet cost sharing/matching requirements (2
CFR 200.306).

Page 43 of 44
 Also, see 2 CFR 200.453, Materials and Supplies Costs, Including Costs
of Computing Devices, regarding the allowability of costs.
(6f) Contractual Services to be carried out by an individual or organization other than the
applicant in the form of procurement.
It excludes the acquisition of equipment and supplies, which is included
under those respective categories.

Do not include the value of donated or volunteer services (third-party in-

kind contributions of services). While the value of those services may be
used to meet cost sharing/matching requirements, it may not be charged
to the Federal award either as a direct or indirect cost (2 CFR 200.434).

Also, see 2 CFR 200.459, Professional Service Costs, regarding the

allowability of costs.
(6g) Construction Include any construction, alteration, or repair of real property (e.g.,
buildings and facilities).
(6h) Other (Direct Costs) This category includes all other direct costs that do not fit in any of the
other direct cost’s categories above. “Direct costs” is defined by 2 CFR
200.413. The costs in this section must be broken down in the budget
narrative.

Include sub-awards in this category

Also, see 2 CFR 200.466, Scholarships and Student Aid Costs, regarding
tuition remission.
(6i) Total Direct Charges Sum of 6a – 6h. If using electronic form, these numbers are auto-
(sum of 6a – 6h) calculated.
(6j) Indirect Charges This category includes the amount of indirect cost permitted under the
agreement. “Indirect costs” is defined by 2 CFR 200.414.

(6k) TOTALS (sum of 6i and Enter the total of amounts on Lines 6i and 6j. (This amount is auto-
6j) calculated if using Grants.gov.) For all applications for new grants and
continuation grants, the total amount in column (5), Line 6k, should be
the same as the total amount shown in Section A, Column (g), Line 5.
For supplemental grants and changes to grants, the total amount of the
increase or decrease as shown in Columns (1)-(4), Line 6k should be the
same as the sum of the amounts in Section A, Columns (e) and (f) on
Line 5. If using electronic form, these numbers are auto-calculated.
(7) Program Income Enter the estimated amount of total income, if any, expected to be
generated from this project. If not applicable, leave blank.

SECTION C – NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES

Not required to be completed

SECTION D – FORECASTED CASH NEEDS

Not required to be completed

SECTION E – BUDGET ESTIMATES OF FEDERAL FUNDS NEEDED FOR BALANCE OF THE

PROJECT
Not required to be completed

SECTION F – OTHER BUDGET INFORMATION

Not required to be completed

Page 44 of 44